The 2025-2026 winter-spring garlic harvest began in late March, but prices have remained low since then.
Farmer Nguyen Thi Thiet harvested nearly 1.8 tonnes of fresh garlic from four sao of farmland. With fresh garlic selling for just VND 30,000 per kilogramme at harvest, she decided to dry and store it in hopes of higher prices.
She still has more than a tonne of dried garlic, now fetching only VND 40,000-50,000 per kilogramme.
Garlic has long been a major source of income for Ly Son residents and was once dubbed the island's "white gold" because of its high value.
Farmer Pham Hai said dried garlic fetched as much as VND 150,000-160,000 per kilogramme about a decade ago, generating substantial profits for growers.
A 500-square-metre plot typically yields 600-700 kilogrammes of fresh garlic, falling to around 400-450 kilogrammes after drying. Production costs range from VND 16 million to VND 18 million per plot.
At current prices, farmers can barely break even, prompting many to hold onto their crops in hopes of a recovery.
Growers attribute volatile prices partly to weak links between production and distribution, as well as growing competition in the market.
Vo Tri Thoi, deputy head of Ly Son's Economic Division, said garlic was a key agricultural product for the island and local authorities had been working to secure more stable outlets for farmers.
Dried garlic prices have at times fallen as low as VND 30,000-40,000 per kilogramme, he said.
Authorities are seeking more stable markets to improve incomes for local garlic growers.